The invention relates generally to thermal devices. In particular, the invention relates to infant warming mattresses using chemically induced thermal reactions.
Various forms of thermal therapy have been used to provide either heating or cooling application temperatures to specific parts of the patient""s body. For example, heat has been used to increase blood flow and speed the healing process to an injured area of the body. Similarly, cooling has been used to prevent swelling and reduce pain in an injured area of the body.
Hot and cold packs are well-known to be useful in a variety of applications. Representative thermal packs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,651 to Francis, Jr., for example. Of particular interest is the use of a warming pad to maintain proper body temperatures for neonatal, pediatric and geriatric patients. Infants, for example, are thermally treated by placing them on a heated mattress. Several types of such mattresses are currently available. One such mattress, the Porta-Warm(trademark) mattress (available from Allegiance Healthcare Corp. McGaw Park, Ill.), is made using a single sheet of film with non-woven material folded over itself to create a rectangular shape which is sealed around the edges. Within the pouch are a series of seals which extend across the pouch to form a plurality of rectangular compartments. Within each compartment is at least one bubble containing a thermal chemical solution of sodium thiosulfate, dextrose and water. When the thermal solution is activated, heat is released in a controlled manner for a period of approximately two hours.
Other currently available thermal mattresses include those made of a single pouch without subdivisions and having a thermal solution contained in a pouch which releases heat upon activation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,127 to Watson et al. discloses a thermal infant mattress wherein two sealed sheets are maintained in a contiguous relationship at a plurality of points. Another type of mattress, which is currently available from Infant Advantage Inc. (San Ramone, Calif.), has a flat, rectangular shape and has additional padding on top of the mattress to create a conformable structure. However, neither the padding nor the mattress contain chemical reactants to provide heat.
There is a need for thermal devices having improved functions and configurations and which afford enhanced therapeutic or comfort benefit for the user.
The invention disclosed herein is a device for applying thermal therapy, treatment or comfort to a patient or user which includes a containment having an upper side and lower side with a space therebetween containing a chemical composition adapted to provide a thermal effect (either exothermic or endothermic), and a plurality of discrete attachment areas which generally define a central location in the container. The device has a nest configuration and automatically conforms to the user""s geometry upon application of weight thereon. The discrete attachment areas are positioned to define an inner peripheral base portion and outer peripheral portion in the device which collectively form the nest configuration. The device is particularly useful in providing thermal therapy, treatment or comfort for infants.
Accordingly, there is disclosed a device for providing thermal therapy comprising:
a) a containment having upper and lower sides and space therebetween;
b) a chemical composition adapted to provide a thermal effect contained within said space;
c) a plurality of discrete attachment areas connecting the upper and lower sides within the perimeter of the device, said attachment areas being centrally located so as to define an inner peripheral base portion and outer peripheral portion of the device; and
wherein the device has a nest configuration and is adapted to conform to a body upon application of weight thereon.
The chemical composition adapted to provide a thermal effect used in the device can be any composition or combination of ingredients adapted to create a thermal effect in a controllable manner and provide an amount of fluid within the containment sufficient to afford conformability of the device to the body. In one embodiment, the ingredients of the chemical composition are physically separated until use of the device, at which time the ingredients are combined and reacted to produce the thermal effect. Preferably, the chemical composition used in the invention is exothermic and thereby produce a warming effect.
One advantage of the device of the invention is that it permits the application of thermal therapy in conformance with the patient""s own physical geometry by accommodating the application of weight without adversely affecting the effectiveness or function of the device during its use. Accordingly, the device provides an improved thermal therapy to the patient. Another advantage of the device is that in addition to the geometrical accommodation of the device to the patient, the internal flow of fluid within the device is unrestricted by the discrete attachment areas, thereby enabling rapid conformation of the device to the patient""s body. Yet another advantage is that the nest configuration provides a relatively comfortable place for an infant to rest and can assist in maintaining the infant in a generally constant position.